Meet Liam Oh, who plays Ray McAffey in Boots, Netflix’s hit military dramedy
Inspired by Greg Cope White’s memoir The Pink Marine, the show has earned praise for exploring LGBT identity in the US military – but it’s also drawn the ire of the Pentagon
The show, created by Andy Parker and starring Vera Farmiga, is inspired by the life of former US Marine Greg Cope White and his memoir The Pink Marine. It follows Cameron Cope, a closeted gay teen who joins his straight best friend, Ray McAffey, in the US Marine Corps, and must grapple with the demanding new environment while navigating friendship and self-discovery.
The show has received high praise for its moving exploration of the military’s treatment of queer identities in the early 1990s, when being gay in the US military was still a criminal offense. But its success seems to have ruffled some feathers over at the US Pentagon amid the Trump administration’s overall anti-LGBTQ stance. In a statement obtained by Entertainment Weekly, press secretary Kingsley Wilson dismissed the series as “woke garbage” and says they “will not compromise our standards to satisfy an ideological agenda”.
Meanwhile, the young cast, led by 31-year-old Miles Heizer (Cameron) and 26-year-old Liam Oh (Ray) is winning hearts on the internet. Heizer previously impressed on shows like 13 Reasons Why and Parenthood, but what do we know about breakout star Liam Oh?
What’s his background?
Oh is a Chicago-born actor with Korean and Irish roots currently living in Brooklyn, per independent Asian magazine, Timid Magazine. He grew up in a close-knit family with his parents and three brothers – one of whom he based his Boots character on.